Last year I decided to participate in the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge for the first time. I liked the idea of completing the challenge but I’m also 100% sure the reason I even looked at it in the first place is because of the cute and colorful list of prompts that they came out with. I’m sorry I just really like pretty things 🤣 That aside, I failed to complete it because I just wasn’t organised. I filled a spreadsheet with possible book options for some prompts at the start but gave up before I even really started trying. Bad panda 🐼
BUT I’m ready and eager to make this year different! I’ve not only identified many possible options for each prompt but I’ve even decided what I’ll read for a few of the 40 regular prompts. I haven’t started looking at the 10 advance level prompts yet though I’m not sure that I will this year!
There are basically no rules to this challenge. You can complete it whatever way you want and on Facebook it got a little ugly when people seemed to judge others for saying that they’d use one book for multiple prompts. It wasn’t a fun time 😒 Why can’t we just let people read whatever and however they want without making them feel like they’re “cheating” when there aren’t even any rules on how to complete this challenge in the first place? Sure, a challenge means you push yourself but it’s really nobody’s business but your own, isn’t it? #tea. BUT I DIGRESS! What I meant to say before going off on that rant is that I’ve made some bookish choices that count for multiple prompts but if I complete the regular challenge early (haha) I’ll go back to some of those prompts and choose a different book for it. That way, I’ll feel like I’ve pushed myself even more but I will also have happily completed the challenge in a relaxed and fun way without putting unnecessary pressure on myself. On that note, here are the books that I’ve chosen for some of the prompts. There’s still a possibility that these may change based on my mood but I’m going to do my best to stick to them.
A book published in 2020
A book by a trans or nonbinary author
A book about a book club + A book that has a book on the cover
A bildungsroman
A book with a map + A book by a WOC
A Western
A book by or about a journalist + A book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics
A book with a robot, cyborg or AI character
A book with at least four stars on Goodreads
A book with a pink cover
So far I’ve also managed to complete three of the prompts with the books that I’ve read so far this month:
A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
A book with a bird on the cover
A book with a three-word title
☝🏽 (I’ve been on the fence about counting this last one though… Would you count it?) ☝🏽
Just like I’ll do for the ARC Apocalypse challenge, I’ll share a quarterly update for the POPSUGAR, which will only help to hold me accountable for my participation and so I don’t half-ass anything lol
Are you also participating in the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge? What do you think of my possibility pile? Do you have any suggestions for what I should read for some of the other prompts?
dinipandareads 
This looks like so much fun! I did a Seven Deadly Sins tag that was blinder lol
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That sounds like a fun but tough tag 😂
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Good luck with the challenge! And I too gravitated to it because of the pretty layout, nothing wrong with aesthetics! 😂
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Thank you! Nothing wrong with aesthetics at all 😂
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Great choices! I am not doing a lot of challenges this year ai also failed miserably last year at them. I really tend to forget about them. Good luck with this challenge!
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Thanks, Mir! I hope I don’t fail as miserably as last year because that was a huge fail on my part haha I do tend to forget about them too but I’m hoping to hold myself accountable with the blog! 🤣
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Ooh I can’t wait to read The Bromance Bookclub! It’s been on reserve at the library for a while now and I’m EAGERLY awaiting my turn! I hope you end up enjoying it too! 😀
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Saaame! I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet since it seems like the kind of romance that’d send me swooning. I guess I haven’t been in much of a romance mood lately. Let’s hope that changes coz there are a few I want to read asap! 😀
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This looks so complex to me but best of luck, Dini!! You can ace it!! ❤
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Haha I think it’s because there are just so many prompts. It is intimidating thinking about where to start 😂 But thanks, E! 💞
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Great picks! I”d definitely choose to pick books that cover multiple prompts haha
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Haha glad I’m not the only one! I find that I always try to do that, but not like one book for more than three prompts or whatever. Two’s a reasonable number 🤪
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I want to try PopSugar challenge every year and then dont… because I’m scared of it tbh. Lol
Good Luck! 😀
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Ahaha I don’t blame you tbh because it is intimidating af 😂 But I guess I like to torture myself by trying these things! Let’s hope this year will be much more successful than last! Lol
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Good luck with sticking with it this year!! I scrolled right on past all that FB drama. I’m so with you. It’s totally up to the reader on how they want to tackle the challenge!!
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Thanks Ali! Gosh, people can be soo sensitive sometimes 😂 I mean, if you have nothing positive or supportive to say, just don’t say anything… You’re entitled to your opinion but that doesn’t mean you have to go implying that people are cheating if they don’t do it your way 😂
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I feel like I want to get in on this! I might have to check it out!
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Ooh yes! Do! I mean, it’s kinda intimidating but I think that it could also be really fun. I mean, technically there aren’t any rules so you can do it however way you want, as long as you enjoy yourself and challenge yourself in whatever way you want 🙂
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